Boston Children's Hospital

Leslie Pomponi Locke

Preventive Care Pathfinder

Please tell me briefly about your journey and current roles and responsibilities at Boston Children's Hospital.

I have been with Boston Children's Hospital for 16 years, starting in the inpatient department before transitioning to the research team, then the emergency department. After that, I was promoted to inpatient manager. I moved to dentistry with vast knowledge of the hospital's work six years ago, it gave me the novel experience of working in an ambulatory clinic setting.

Currently, I am operations director, overseeing our frontline patient-experienced revenue team and managing our operating room operations. I also handle around 1100 operating cases annually. I also support two clinical managers and work with our executive administrative director to recruit, optimize our clinical schedule, and implement various clinical projects.

What are the challenges most healthcare and dental facilities face when it comes to the operation side?

Access is the most difficult challenge healthcare, and dental facilities face, even as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating under safety precautions limits our ability to provide care for all patients. A shared room with multiple chairs limits our ability to perform any aerosol generating procedure. Concurrently, our dental department serves a unique population of community members and medically complex adults and pediatric patients, making it difficult to transition patients between age groups. Apart from access, our long operating room list is limited by staffing and faculty availability. Recruiting pediatric dentists, dental assistants, and hygienists is challenging in this marketplace, and our upcoming clinic expansion will require significant support staff and dental faculty recruitment. Staffing and recruiting remain major barriers for our industry.

" There are numerous patients in need of dental care, and it is unclear whether the solution lies in improving dental education and training, increasing the number of dental providers, or enhancing the efficiency of care delivery. However, we have a societal obligation to offer high-quality oral health care to both pediatric and adult populations, regardless of their medical complexity, special needs, or overall health status "

What leadership strategy do you have that sets you apart as a leader within the space?

My leadership strategy focuses on optimizing schedules and enhancing the patient family experience. While it's challenging to provide full access to all patients, I support our staff in scheduling patients for their next visit while explaining the reasons for the access challenges. I also work on optimizing our operating room schedules to maximize procedures performed. My focus is always on providing more access and enhancing the patient experience.

Where do you envision the industry moving forward in the coming years?

In the coming years, the dental industry will focus on preventative care, resulting in fewer patients needing extensive procedures in the operating room. We aim to offer more timely cleanings, appointments, and safely provide care to more patients per provider. While our clinic's COVID precautions limit us to one patient per dental room, this may differ for other practices, allowing providers to see more patients daily.

What would be your advice for your peers in the dentistry management space?

My advice to my peers in the dentistry management space would be to prioritize access to care for patients. The need for dental care is significant, and we should explore solutions such as dental education and training, increasing the number of dental providers, and making care more efficient. We are responsible for providing oral health care to all, regardless of their age or health status. This includes those with special needs or medically complex conditions. Let's work together to ensure everyone has access to the care they need.